Posts for tag: teeth whitening

A bright smile is a winning smile, right? So says most Americans at least, according to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Did you know that is there a safe way to achieve that perfect look? Dr. Joel Bookout in Chattanooga offers in-office and at-home teeth whitening to qualified patients, and it may be your ticket to a fabulous smile!

Teeth get stains

How does this happen? Time, age, and daily wear-and-tear all thin and discolor tooth enamel, as does tobacco (both cigarette smoke and chewing tobacco), dark foods (blueberries, curry, soy sauce, etc.) and highly colored beverages (coffee, tea, sports drinks). Due to this variety of staining factors, countless people wake up to discover that their smiles looks dull and dingy.

Even the best of oral hygiene habits cannot remove deeply embedded stains and the whitening products available at the pharmacy or supermarket can cause harmful gum sensitivity. What's the solution? Professional teeth whitening, of course!

The Benefits of Professional Teeth Whitening

Patients of Dr. Bookout can take advantage of professional teeth whitening right in his Chattanooga office, or they may select a more gradual at-home treatment. Either way, the result is a smile that is turned brighter by several shades of color—up to eight, in fact!

Besides a totally rejuvenated look, professional teeth whitening offers several benefits such as:

A complete oral examination to ensure your teeth and gums are healthy enough for whitening

Convenient, customized whitening trays which place gel right where it's needed (at-home version)

Relatively low cost when compared to cosmetic dentistry services such as porcelain veneers

Quick treatment time—about one hour in the dental chair for the in-office version (at-home takes about a week of daily applications)

Will whitening work for you?
Most people with healthy smiles achieve great results with professional teeth whitening. A one-on-one consultation with Dr. Joel Bookout will tell you if you're a candidate for this highly sought-after aesthetic service. To arrange your friendly chat and exam with Dr. Bookout, call the office today at (423) 698-3607.

Saying goodbye to your stained or yellowed teeth may seem like a dream that can never come true. Luckily, you can do just that with a professional teeth whitening session. Teeth whitening is a safe and effective answer to the unsightly dental stains wreaking havoc on your smile. Find out more about teeth whitening and what it can do for you with Dr. Joel Bookout in Chattanooga, TN.

Am I a good candidate for teeth whitening?
While teeth whitening can help anyone who wishes they had a more appealing, brighter smile, not everyone makes the best candidate for this procedure. A good candidate should be free of dental issues like teeth decay and gum disease. If your dentist finds evidence of these conditions, they will want to clear them up before going through with your teeth whitening procedure. Additionally, teeth whitening may cause tooth sensitivity in some patients, making it important that you alert your dentist to any history of sensitive teeth.

How does teeth whitening work?
During teeth whitening procedures, your dentist will place a whitening gel onto the teeth. The gel, which contains chemicals, works on the molecular level and breaks down the bonds which hold together the molecules of the stains on your teeth. With the bonds broken, the molecules are no longer held together and can spread out, creating a whiter appearance. Patients will not have any downtime after their whitening session, meaning they can immediately return to their everyday commitments like work or school without taking any time off.

Professional Teeth Whitening in Chattanooga, TN
You can work with your dentist to adjust the level of whitening you want, meaning that your procedures could only subtly tweak your smile’s appearance or completely overhaul the color of your teeth. A consultation with your dentist is an important step to take before deciding on a teeth whitening treatment.

Academy Award-winning actress Kathy Bates knows how important it is to present your best face to the world — and one of the most important features of that face is a beaming smile. But there came a point when she noticed something was a little off. “I've always had good teeth, but it seemed to me as I was getting older that they weren't looking as good,” Kathy explained in a recent interview with Dear Doctor magazine.

That's when she decided it was time to take action. Kathy had orthodontic treatment when she was in her fifties, and she keeps her smile bright with tooth whitening treatments. She uses a kit provided by her dentist with a safe, effective whitening solution.

Of course, a bright, healthy smile looks great anywhere — whether you're on the red carpet or “off the grid.” And you don't have to be a Hollywood star to have professional whitening treatments. In fact, teeth whitening is one of the most popular and affordable cosmetic treatments modern dentistry offers.

The basic options for professional teeth whitening include in-office bleaching or take-home kits. Both types of dentist-supervised treatments offer a safe and effective means of getting a brighter smile; the main difference is how long they take to produce results. A single one-hour treatment in the office can make your teeth up to ten shades lighter — a big difference! To get that same lightening with at-home trays, it would take several days. On the plus side, the take-home kit is less expensive, and can achieve the same results in a bit more time.

It's important to note that not all teeth can be whitened with these treatments. Some teeth have intrinsic (internal) stains that aren't affected by external agents like bleaches. Also, teeth that have been restored (with bonding or veneers, for example) generally won't change color. And you can't necessarily whiten your teeth to any degree: Every tooth has a maximum whiteness, and adding more bleach won't lighten it beyond that level. Most people, however, find that teeth whitening treatments produce noticeable and pleasing results.

What about those off-the-shelf kits or in-the-mall kiosks? They might work… or they might not. But one thing's for sure: Without a dentist's supervision, you're on your own. That's the main reason why you should go with a pro if you're considering teeth whitening. We not only ensure that your treatment is safe — we can also give you a realistic idea of what results to expect, and we will make sure that other dental problems aren't keeping you from having a great-looking smile.

Bleaching (or teeth whitening) is a proven method for dealing with tooth discoloration and staining. Nearly all whitening products, whether home or professional, contain the bleaching agent carbamide peroxide or its breakdown product hydrogen peroxide. These agents effectively diminish staining deep within a tooth (intrinsic) or on the enamel surface (extrinsic), although intrinsic staining will require a more invasive office procedure.

If you have extrinsic staining you have three basic options: dental office bleaching, a retail home kit or a kit purchased from a dentist. Again, you’ll find the same basic bleaching agents in each of these versions. The difference will be the concentration: home kits contain about 10% agent by volume, while the office application will be a much higher range of 15% to 35% (which may also employ specialized lights or lasers to increase the bleaching effect). As a result, an office bleaching may take only a visit or two to achieve the desired brightness while a home kit about two or three weeks.

Whitening is a more economical route for smile enhancement of otherwise sound teeth than other measures. But there are other considerations you should weigh before undergoing a procedure. Whitening isn’t a permanent fix — the brightness will diminish over time, optimally six months to a year in what dentists call the “fade rate.” You can slow this process by avoiding or limiting foods and habits that cause staining.

If you have other dental work — crowns, bridgework or fillings — it may be difficult to achieve a tint level that matches these restorations, especially at home. And while whitening is relatively safe (as long as you’re using your kit as directed), you may experience tooth sensitivity, gum irritation or other minor oral side effects.

Before you decide on whitening, visit us first for a complete dental examination. From there we can advise you on whether whitening is a good smile enhancement choice for you.